11 No Judgment Ways To Squeeze Writing Into Your Summertime Parenting Schedule

Hey there parent of a young child or more! It’s summertime and you need to get some writing done but sadly, your child isn't old enough to be set free into the wild or dropped off at the mall. Here are ten ways to get your write on without having to hide in the bathroom pretending you have a poo-poo tummy for two hours.

1. Whoa. You woke up and it’s just you. No one is up yet. It’s a miracle! Instead of sleeping with one eye open and anticipating the pitter-patter and morning “Mom I’m hungry!” greeting, get your write on. Have a notebook or your laptop by your bed, so you can just knock out a few words, ideas, or get started on a scene before the day begins. This can get you an early start on your day and 4-60 minutes of writing time.

2. Set up a “work area” for you and your kid(s) near your desk. Set up a few books, paper, crayons, a drink and a snack or two. You can even “deliver” them a continental breakfast or bag lunch to their “office” for their mealtime. Depending on the attention span of your kid(s), this can give you 8-60 minutes of time to draft your next great novel.

2. Cheap Babysitters. There’s an App for that! Download a new app or two for your child and get 10-60 minutes of writing time. Here are a few fun and educational apps that I and my almost five-year-old would recommend: MomA: ArtLab, Tiny Bop: The Human Body and Alligator Apps: Little Writer. We also like “Bug Builder” and love to pass it back and forth as we make surprise bugs for each other.

3. TV is an obvious choice but to get the real benefit with less guilt, do it right. Don’t just have the TV on 24/7 and squeeze whatever writing you can throughout the day. Be smart. Check the listings, find a show or two your kid is into and schedule an hour block of time to work.  (Ok fine, you know you can go 90-120 minutes, who are we kidding?)

4. Summer camp is expensive, but if you can swing a week or more, you should. Your sanity and the free writing time is worth the expense. 25 plus hours of writing time could be yours!

5. If summer camp isn’t an option, consider hiring a babysitter for a nice 3-6 hour time block on a Monday afternoon. Case of Mondays averted.

6. This is my fave life hack but it only works if you have an older child to watch the younger one(s). My son is 14 so I can pay him half as much as the regular sitter and take a five-minute drive to the library. “Bye kids! Don’t tear down the house and I’ll see you in 2.5-3 hours!”

7. If you don’t have an older child but have one that’s “old enough,” give them a few dollars, promise them you’ll go out for ice cream or INSERT BRIBE HERE if they’ll play with the younger kid(s) QUIETLY. Meanwhile, you are locked in your room writing. If you can get the older kid to think of this as a legit job, they’ll probably surprise you and you can get a solid 40-60 minutes of writing time in.

8. No older child? Borrow a niece, nephew or a friend’s 10-13 year old and pay them a mothers-helper type wage to play with your kids while you hide in the quietest corner of the basement revising your masterpiece. Ten bucks is still a lot to some kids. It could get you a 2-3 hour writing session.

9. Give your child a plate of brussel sprouts and liver and let them know that THEY WILL NOT leave the table until they finish their dinner. Bring your laptop to the table, put in some ear buds, crank up some classical music and write away. After 45-60 minutes, if you’re feeling it, tell your kid they’re off the hook and give them a couple slices of pizza. You are now a hero! And you just bought yourself another 5-10 minutes depending on how fast they scarf down that pizza.

10. The day is almost over! It’s time to give your kid a bath. The benefit of summertime heat is that a long bath isn’t going to give your kid hypothermia. Fill up the tub, throw in some toys, put the toilet seat down or get cozy on the bathroom floor. Sure your kid will be a little raisin when they get out, but look at all the words you got down in 20-40 minutes of writing time.

11. Now that the kids are asleep, you are exhausted. All you want to do is make a mai-tai or eat a pint of ice cream and watch the show you DVRd last night. Nope! Not yet. Hop on Twitter or text another friend for writing accountability and burn through a 40-60 minute writing session.

Ami Allen-Vath is the proud parent of a fourteen year old and a four year old. Her first novel, completed during TV time, bedtimes and one fabulous Puerto Rico vacation is Liars and Losers Like Us. It'll be sent into the wild March of 2016. Some of the places you can can find Ami are here, Twitter and Facebook.

Patience and the Path to Publication

I was writing novels seriously for about five years before my debut, Dead Boy, sold to Random House. It seemed like forever. When I started writing my first (now trunked) novel, I had high hopes of getting published within a year. Realistically, though, five years is not that long.

Think about it this way. Most professions require years of formal training. When it comes to writing, some people go the MFA route, but others decide to teach themselves, usually with the help of critique groups, beta readers, writing guides, and websites for writers. I think both choices are valid, but it would be a mistake to expect one to take significantly less time. Whether you’re training yourself or taking classes, honing your writing skills requires time.

I’ve seen self-taught writers take two major approaches to improvement. Some write and rewrite the same manuscript for years until it’s right. Others churn out manuscript after manuscript, getting better each time. I’ve witnessed success stories both ways, so I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong choice. It’s just a matter of personal preference. Either way, though, a new writer should expect to put in a lot of time and effort.

Self-publishing is an option, but it’s not a shortcut. There are good reasons to self-publish. Maybe you’re writing for a niche market that most publishers don’t want but that does reasonably well in e-books. Maybe you’re a marketing genius and want to control the entire process. But I’ve read far too many complaints from new writers who rushed to self-publish only to be disappointed by low sales or—even worse—to realize that their novel was full of mistakes. There are good reasons to self-publish, but impatience isn’t one of them, especially if you’re trying to build a long-term career out of writing.

The publishing world moves slowly, and this doesn’t change once you get a book deal. Dead Boy releases in about three months, and to be honest, I’m getting rather antsy about it. There’s nothing I can do to speed things up, though, so I just need to take a little of my own advice and try to be patient.

©Trent Black
 
Laurel Gale lives in the desert with her husband and a band of furry monsters that might actually be ferrets. She enjoys reading novels, playing board games, and learning about everything from history to science to grammar. Her debut middle grade novel, Dead Boy, comes out September 29, 2015, from Random House/Crown Books for Young Readers. 

The Ivory Tower and Me: In Defense of Writing Degrees

Why is Guy In Your MFA hilarious? Because it's true; if you've taken a creative class, odds are that someone's been that guy. (Perhaps even you.)

Arguments about whether or not writing can be taught, if the proliferation of MFA programs is negative, if "MFA fiction" is ruining the state of modern literature have been discussed ad nauseam. I admire people who have their degrees in mechanical engineering or architecture or something adventurous while writing on the side. Indeed, there's plenty to be said for a path that has nothing to do with studying writing (more novel fodder, after all).

But what if all you want is to sit in a circle with your classmates, printed copies of your work in front of them, leg bouncing nervously in anticipation of being either praised or lampooned?

Hey, if you can handle people asking, "What are you going to do with a writing degree?" and chortling about your job possibilities, you'll find there are numerous pros:

• Critique: Learning how to take it...

When I was a wee freshman in an upper-level class, my classmates eviscerated the opening pages of my nonfiction assignment. They took no prisoners. Welcome to college!

After, the professor took me aside to ask if I was okay with how the workshop had gone.  

"Yeah," I said. And you know what? I was.

I knew the workshop wasn't about me; heck, nobody knew me. It was about the words on the pages, and the best course of action was simple: improve. 

• ...And dish it

In classes where your grade partially hinges on your written critiques of your classmates' writing, you're quite aware that "interesting" and "cool" (or "???") doesn't cut it. By the time grad school comes around, you're expected to mark up excerpts with insightful commentary and participate in class discussions with meaningful statements (although your lexicon may have changed out "cool" for the more sophisticated "organic"). 

Bottom line: being able to handle public critique -- and provide it constructively -- is an art well worth learning. 

• Spreading your wings: Sending out your work into the abyss

There was one inevitability to class with Dr. Boynton; at the end of the semester, we were required to submit our work to at least one literary magazine and provide her with proof that we'd done so. The message was clear: if you want to write professionally, you have to put your work out there.

This was not a case of "do as I say, not as I do." Instead, Dr. Boynton would open her mailed responses from magazines in front of us (back when Submittable was still a fawn learning to stand on its legs). She'd read out loud the response. Sometimes it was a rejection and other times an acceptance. In those moments, she was as vulnerable as us when we hit send.

• The inner circle: Building a system of trusted writers and mentors

There's nothing better than having that friend who will read your way-too-autobiographical found poem and love you anyway. Or connecting with someone you don't really know but whose work you admire and being able to hang out after workshop to tell them that. Or sitting in a class full of poets and fiction writers as you communally attempt to write screenplays for the first time. Or having mentors who push you to succeed but celebrate the steps you take along the way. 

Knowing you've found your tribe and maintaining those relationships years later? Priceless. 

Diana Gallagher's contemporary YA novel, Lessons in Falling, lands on 9/8/15 from Spencer Hill Contemporary. She holds both a BA and an MFA in Writing, earning her many a "what are you going to do with a writing degree?" in her lifetime. Learn more on her website or come say hi on Twitter!

Part 2 of an Interview with Literary Agent Erzsi Deàk of Hen & Ink

This is the second part of an interview with of Hen&ink Literary founder, Erzsi Deàk (pronounced AIR-zhee DAY-ack—it’s Hungarian, although she’s American).

Part 1 is here. All right. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. What are you looking for?
I want to see exciting stories that touch the heart through humor and poignancy. Stories with fantastic Voice. Stories that resonate with readers and that are insanely well-written. I want to see illustration samples that share the same sentiments and are not in any repetitive style to the other illustrators in the Coop. I love great line and Voice in illustration. I love good lines in writing, but don't want one-off fantastic lines to standout and I want the payoff to always be the inevitable unexpected ending. 

What is your submission policy?
 We have a pretty strict policy, but the main one is that people listen and abide by the guidelines:
 ➢ We are open to submissions on recommendation from a publishing colleague and during Open Coop dates and from conference attendees for a specific period of time. What with the 12x12 and an SCBWI event, we don't expect an Open Coop Day before November -- but this could change, so please stay tuned to the website and social media for announcements!
 ➢ Almost more important than the above is to KNOW MY NAME and what I like and what Hen&ink represents. Addressing a blind letter to DEAR EDITOR will get you absolutely nowhere and DEAR AGENT is only one step behind.
 ➢ On the Hen&ink site submission's page, there's a list of favorite books and a list of what we don't want to see. Definitely examine these before you submit.

Do you consider multiple submissions?
 I assume submissions are multiple. If it's an exclusive, then I want to hear about it! And see it at the top of your very short cover letter – see below.

Do you read cover letters?
Yes, and I like cover letters that are short and sweet (ie, My name is Joe. I attended the XXX conference and this is my picture book text). At the end, if you are writing a nonfiction book, give me more about you and why you might be the only person who can write this book. But otherwise, keep it short and sweet and let your work speak for itself (and you).

What's your turnaround time?
My ideal turnaround time is within 5 weeks. The reality is that it can go for longer. After 5 months, I encourage everyone to consider it a pass, though I've been known to rise from the dead long after. I have an assistant now, so I'm hoping we'll hit the 5 weeks mark more often!

What's your ideal client look like?
The client/agent experience is definitely a bit like a marriage; it's certainly a partnership. That said, each partner needs to do his/her job. My ideal client is producing quality work that I can take to market and I'm, ideally, getting them the best deal for their efforts. My ideal client doesn’t nag me and ask what's happening. Ideally, I'm communicating regularly with updates, and while encouraging them to create, not nagging after them, "Where's the book!?!" If something IS happening, they will be the first to know.

Do you discuss with your clients who to submit to before you submit? 
Yes, we come up with a targeted list together. I don't do anything without communicating to and with a client.

As you are based in France, to whom and where do you submit? 
Primarily US and UK publishers and maybe other English-language markets (ie, I prefer to work in English for original projects).

How do you submit?
It depends on the project, but always targeted so that, ideally, I don't waste anyone's time.

What are your last sales? 
We've just sold a number of picture books in the US, a big project in the UK that we can’t announce yet, and foreign rights into Korea and we are hopeful for foreign rights for a big YA/crossover project.

What percentage do you take? 
15% for domestic (ie, "home publisher").

Do you represent illustrators?
Definitely. I love illustrators. I, of course, adore illustrators who are also writers (not an obvious fit just as not all writers are illustrators, by any means).

What's your worst criticism? 
That it's boring.
 Next up, is that it’s preachy (message-driven).

Anything submitting authors and illustrators should avoid? 
Gosh. It always seems obvious, but probably just avoid being pushy, even if it comes from a heartfelt place like desperation. Know your market (me) and research a bit. Be professional. I'm pretty easy-going, but if I sense high-maintenance, I'll probably run and hide in the bathroom (and then, please, do not push the project under the stall door) and pass, even if it's a Newbery book in-the-making. The role of agent is that of a "business nurturer"-- I try to avoid therapist! I'm a writer, too, and know how hard it is to put ourselves out there on-the-line. But if a person is professional, has done her/his research and has a project worth considering (and this can be objective, mind you), that's all good! Know that agents and editors are people first and it's all subjective and pretty much a Yes or No scenario: “Yes, I like your work and want to see more.” “No, sorry, this isn't for me.” If it's “No,” it's a no from ME, not the whole world and you just have to work on your craft and trust that you'll get to “yes” with the right agent.

Thank you, Erzsi!

Where is all the queer historical fiction? A plea by Mackenzi Lee.

I remember the first time I read somewhere that Abraham Lincoln was probably gay, my reaction was “Well that can’t be true because gay people didn’t exist back then.”

*Travels back in time, slaps past Mackenzi across the face*

Thankfully, past Mackenzi, we’ve come a long way since then.

But also, it's hard to blame past Mackenzi for this gap in her education. She grew up in a hyper religious, conservative community where being anything other than aggressively heterosexual wasn't an option. And she wasn’t reading contemporary YA romance books, which is where all the queer characters seem to be congregating these days. She was reading a lot of historical fiction. Preferably with a fantasy element. And none of those characters were anything other than cisgender and straight.

Young me could have really used some QILTBAG spectrum repped in the books she was reading. Might have made some formative questions during my formative years a little easier to understand.  And might have opened my eyes to the fact that as long as we’ve had people, we’ve had queer people.

So in an attempt to educate past me, satisfy current me (who recently went through a phase where she was only interested in books with not straight or not cis characters), and inspire my current WIP (LGBTQ historical fiction--holla!), I recently decided to read as much YA historical fiction with a main character that falls on the QILTBAG spectrum as I could find.

I exhausted them in about four days.

Kids, there aren’t too many.

"SOMETHING MUST BE DONE," shouted current Mackenzi.

"YES!" echoed past Mackenzi, in hopes of not getting slapped again.

So if you, like me, are to read some books set in the past with QILTBAG characters, let me provide for you a master list.

Okay, this is far from a master, but it is a list, and it is the start of a master list. If you have any recs of books I am missing from this list, please let me know! I will keep updating! Because this can’t be all there is!

(Also, I have not read all of these, so I cannot vouch for all--I am taking the word of the good people on the internet!)  

But first, some qualifiers. Here’s what I am NOT looking for for this list:

• Historical fiction with LGBTQIA secondary characters
• Adult historical fiction with LGBTQIA characters (though also go read these books because there are some great ones)
• Fiction that was contemporary when it was written but is now considered historical because time passes (think Annie On My Mind)
• Queer MCs in genres other than historical fiction or historical fantasy (but please go read these books too)
• Self published historical fiction books with LGBTQIA main characters (sorry self pub authors, you are awesome and I am glad you are writing great things (including queer YA historical fiction!) but I’m limiting my search to traditionally published books. MOSTLY TO PROVE MY POINT.)

And so, here you are. A timeline of YA historical fiction with QILTBAG main characters.

1990s

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

1980s

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis

1970s

Honey Girl by Lisa Freeman

Leap by Z. Egloff

Radiant Days by Elizabeth Hand

1950s

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

1940s

Secret City by Julia Watts

1920s

Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin

1910s

The Elementals by Saundra Mitchell

Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

1870s

Liberty’s Fire by Lydia Syson

1890s

Wildthorn by Jane England

1700s

Hidden Voices by Pat Lowery Collins

Your turn to help--what did I miss? I'd like to keep this list ever expanding and ever growing, so please help me make that happen!

Mackenzi Lee is reader, writer, bookseller, unapologetic fangirl, and fast talker. She holds an MFA from Simmons College in writing for children and young adults. Her young adult historical fantasy novel, THIS MONSTROUS THING will be published on September 22 by Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins. She loves Diet Coke, sweater weather, and Star Wars. On a perfect day, she can be found enjoying all three. She currently calls Boston home. Visit her online at her website, blog, or Twitter.

The Second Time Through This Big Mess

Revisions are a part of the publishing process. That's how it is, and there's no arguing that our books are generally a lot better when they resurface on the other side.

I often enjoy revisions more than writing first drafts because the presence of the words on the page feels like a safety net. I've already finished the story once -- I am capable of connecting the dots in a more sensible way the next time around.

I take pride in being pretty good at revisions. There is minimal crying and literary mess to clean up after I'm done. Coffee and cookies help, of course.

But this time is different. Unlike most debut writers, I just turned in my first round of edits to my second editor. After believing that I was done with I AM DRUMS, I rolled up my sleeves and dived in again. For good reasons, to be sure, but that didn't make it any easier.

Let me explain where I was at the beginning of 2015:

• My revisions for my editor were done.
• Copyedits were done.
• ARCs were in my hand.
• Everything I needed to make the book feel real had happened.

I was about to deliver first pass pages when my publisher was suddenly not a thing anymore. I tripped while climbing the publishing mountain and landed right back at the beginning, in submission hell.

It's been a surprisingly smooth experience, of course, thanks to my amazing agent working miracles to get my book back in good hands. And the phenomenal editor I landed with -- let's just say she's amazing and spot-on, which helps when you loved your previous editor as much as I did. Most writers are lucky to work with one great editor, and I've worked with two -- how awesome is that?

Then I had to dive in to I AM DRUMS again, looking at big and small structural and logistic problems. All good stuff, and none of it as daunting as that first edit letter -- the one that makes debuters curl up in a ball and sob inside. But I was jumping into a book that was THIS CLOSE to entering the world, and I had to face the truth that it could be better. Can't all books be better? That's one of the tricky parts of revision -- determination to improve what isn't done while also letting go of something that needs space so it doesn't shrivel up under the pressure.

It's hard to explain how this feels. My book was done, but it wasn't done. There was a larger emotional punch I could achieve. I didn't want to do it, but it had to be done. And I finished the first (but likely not last) round of edits yesterday when I hit SEND and sent my latest draft to my editor. I'm terrified I've botched the whole thing, but that's how I feel every time I send in revisions. You're re-proving that you're good at this job in the first place.

I will be proud of the book that finally releases, but right now the process is a little emotionally mangling.

Mike Grosso is the author of I AM DRUMS, a debut contemporary middle grade for musicians of all ages. It was orphaned due to the closing of Egmont USA, but has found a new home at Clarion Books and an updated release date of September 16, 2016. The Fall Fifteeners have been nice enough to let him hang out even though he's technically a sixteener now.

You can visit Mike's website here or follow him on Twitter @mgrossoauthor.

RELEASE DAY - SECRET OF THE SEVENS

Well, it only took four and a half years, but guess what's finally here? It's the SECRET OF THE SEVENS release day. Do you know why they call it a release day? Because your self doubt, insecurity, anxiety, and a desperate desire for approval are all released at once (and oh yeah, your book, too). I'm kidding (a little), It's actually an amazing feeling.

Thank you everyone for all your support! I sure hope you like it.




SYNOPSIS:  Everyone at Singer, a boarding school for underprivileged kids, knows the urban legend of the Society of Seven. Nearly two decades ago, the original members of this exclusive guild murdered the school’s founder and then perished in the fire they’d lit to hide the evidence. Or so the story goes.

Talan Michaels doesn’t care about Singer’s past, however. He’s too focused on his future and the fact that he’ll be homeless after he graduates in May. To take his mind off things, he accepts a mysterious invitation to join a group calling itself “the Sevens.” He expects pranks, parties, and perks. Instead, he finds himself neck-deep in a conspiracy involving secret passages and cryptic riddles about the school’s history. Even worse, he’s now tangled in a web of lies, and in a plot that someone will kill to keep hidden.                                                                                                                                   

"At the end of the day, it’s Talan and his endearing combination of bravado and vulnerability, coupled with the crackling chemistry he shares with Laney, that will keep readers turning the pages. A satisfying read for secret-society fanatics and romantics alike."   -KIRKUS REVIEWS

"...it's impossible to put the book down. Conspiracy, loyalty, secrets, oaths, lies, and riddles flourish, making this the perfect book for readers who love to untangle mysteries by puzzling things out."  -BOOKLIST